Air-compressing device



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. U.'GRIPFITHS 8a H. NIEDERMMTER.`

(No Model.)

AIR OMPRESSING DEVICE.

No. 530,335. PatentedDec. 4, 1894.

4iwal@ n INVENTORS llll//lllllllll WITNESSES 1 STATES' @ATEN tric,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.` 530,335, dated December 4, 1894.

Application filed July 14, i894.

To all whom, it may con/cern.-

Be it known that we, WILLIAM U. GRIF- FITHs and HENRY NIEDERMAYER, of lhiladelphia, in the State ofy Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Gompressing Devices, whereofthe following is a specication, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to that class of devices in which a continuous current of water compresses the air contained within a closed chamber; and the primary object of ourinvention is to provide means whereby, after the maximum effect of the current has been obtained for one compressing operation, the apparatus may be automatically freed from the accumulated water and prepared for a repetition of the process. While therefore the action of the device is in one sense intermittent, in that there isa period of non-action (so far as the compressing effect is concerned) between two successive compressing operations, yet practically the device'is continuously operative, so long as the water current is maintained. In the accompanying drawings, Figure l represents a vertical central section through the compressing chamber of the apparatus, illustrating the working parts within. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the interior with the top removed. Fig. 3 is a view, in perspective, of certain of the working parts. y

The compressing chamber or cylinder is windicated at A, and the removable top thereof at A. At the bottom is a water inlet pipe,

B, which is in communication with a constant water supply, and adjacent to said inlet is a water outlet, B', of much greater area than the former. This water outlet is closed by a valve or stopper, b, which is connected by a rod, e, with a float, E. The cubic contents of said float are such that its buoyancy, when submerged to the maximum degree, will nearly, but not quite, lift the outlet valve, b, against the water pressure thereon, a secondary iioat, hereinafter described, being re quired to elfect this purpose.

Within the cylinder, A, is an upright pipe, I, open at the top and having its lower portion reduced somewhat, as shown at t. Said pipe (which weterm the overflow chamber) sesam. 517,534.. (No model.)

has near its lower end a lateral outlet, J, closed by a valve, j, which is actuated by meansof a ball-float, K, connected therewith bythe arm, la. The top of the ovcrliow chamber, Lis at the `maximum height to which it is intended that the water should be permittedto rise during the actual compressing operation.

The secondary float, G, is suspended within the enlarged upper portion of the overflow chamber, I, by means of the arched strip, g, attached to the outer end of the lever, F, to t which, at or near its central portion, the float, E, is also attached by means of the arched strip, f. Said lever is hinged at h to the upper end of one branch, L, ofthe U-shaped upper portion of the upright air-pipe, M, which extends through the bottom of the cylinder, A, and is open at the lower end, m, for the admission `orescape of air. The two branches, L, L', of said pipe are also open within the cylinder near the top thereof, but are controlled respectively by the valve, H, (which forms part of the lever, F,) and by the valve, N, which is pivoted at n to the upper end of the branch, L. Said valve, N, is connected by a downwardly curved arm, n, with a ball- `loat, P, the position of said lioat, P, when the valve, N, is closed, being somewhat below the top of the overliow chamber, I.

At a convenient point in the lid or cover, A', is `the outlet, C, for the compressed air, `which may be provided with a check valve, y D, as shown, said check-valve having a downwardly depending stem, d, and ball-float, d', whereby, should the cylinder accidentally become lled with water, the check valvewould be raised and held against its upper seat to prevent the ingress of water into the air discharge pipe, c. A pressure gage, C', may be conveniently applied to said outlet pipe.

The operation of the device is as follows: Assuming the apparatus to be entirely free from water, the main ioat, E, secondary float, G, and ball-lioat, P, are in their lowest positions so that the outlet valve, b, and air valves, N and H, are closed upon their seats. The ball-float, K, is also in its lowest position, thus opening the outlet valve, j, of the overflow chamber. The cylinder is of course filled with air and the pipe, c, is either closed, or in IDB communication with the receptacle to which the compressed air is to be delivered. If now Water be admitted to the pipe, B, it will rise within the cylinder, compressing the air above it and when a sufficient height has been reached, the float, K, will close the valve,` 7', and prevent further ingress of water to the overflow chamber, I. As the water continues to rise, the air within the cylinder will be compressed with more and more intensity untila degree of pressure has been reached which the head of waterisincapable of overcoming, or until by the exit of the air through the pipe, c, the apparatus has been exhausted. Under these conditions the water will have reached the ball-float, P, and when it has risen sufficiently to lift said ball-float against the internal pressure upon the Valve, N, the riseof said oat will open said valve, thus permitting the rapid escape of aquantity of the compressed air through the branch, L', and pipe, 1 M. This rapid escape of compressed air will be accompanied by a very sudden rise of Water v which will overflow into and till the chamber, I, so as to raise the float, G, therein. While, as before stated, the buoyancy of the float, E, is not quite sufcient of itself to raise the outlet valve, b, the combined buoyancy of the floats, E and G, is sucient for this purpose, and therefore upon the overflow of water into the chamber, I, the two floats together will force the lever, F, upward, thus raising the outlet Valve, b, and also opening the valve, H, which is upon the branch, L, of the air-pipe, M. As soon as the outlet valve, b, has been lifted, the Water rushes .out through'the pipe, B', and air is admitted through the pipe, M. The purpose of the branch, or double termination, of said air-pipe is as follows: With the first descent of the Water level, the fall of the ball-float, P, closes the valve, N, and the admission of air through the branch, L', is stopped. If then no other air inlet were provided the further discharge of water would be checked.

The buoyancy of the float, G, however, is suf- 4 iioat, K, to fall and by opening the valve, J, 5o

permit the contents of the pipe, I, to escape. As soon as this action has occurred, the overflow chamber, I, being empty, the floats, G and E, drop, Causing the descent of the lever, F, and closing the air-valve, H, and the outlet valve, b. Thereupon the compressing action recommences, the water `again entering the pipe, B, repeating the series of operations which has just been described. Thus a series of compressingimpulses can be automatically obtained from a continuous water current Without limit as to number.

The compressed air from the apparatus may be made available for any of the ordinary uses, such as in beer-pumps, 85e.

Having thus described our invention, we claimi The combination, with a closed cylinder having a water inlet, a valve-controlled Water outlet, a valve-controlled air-inlet and a compressed air outlet; of an overflow chamber provided with a valve-controlled escape orifice; a main float operatively connected with the Water-.outlet valve; a secondary float arranged withinsaidovertlow chamber and also operatively .connected with the water-outlet valve, the combined buoyancy of said floats being sufficient to raise said Waterfoutlet Valve against the maximum pressure thereon; said secondary float being also operatively connected with the air-inlet valve, substantially as set forth.

W. U. GRIEEITHs. HENRY NIEDERMAYER.

Witnesses:

JAMES H. BELL, G. HERBERT J ENKINs. 

